The Birth of the BMX Freestyle movement Book Launch & Community Gathering

Dec 14, 2024

Written by Bart de Jong

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The Birth of the BMX Freestyle Movement Global Edition book launch and history celebration will be held on January 17th, 2025, at Rivian South Coast Theater in Laguna Beach, California. The Rivian Electric Vehicle Company will host us at its refurbished and iconic South Coast Theater on PCH in Laguna Beach. The Vans shoe company will also support the event. We have an incredible venue and a unique opportunity to unite the deep-rooted BMX community, which spans 50 years, in a way that hasn't been done before and may not happen again. The event will offer unlimited food and beverages, along with opportunities to meet and greet a large group of the books contributors. Registration to attend is mandatory due to limited space, and we expect spots to fill up quickly. Please note that registration on the day of the event will not be available. Let's kick off 2025 with something exciting to enjoy and anticipate!

This event will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate the phenomenal story and culture of BMX Freestyle among legends and fans in a beautiful venue right in the heartland of the BMX story.

During the evening, we will celebrate Wizard Publications founder Bob Osborn, our Guest of Honor, for his deep contributions to BMX Culture.

I hope to see you in January for the book launch, a community gathering, and an evening of historical BMX Freestyle celebration.

The 560-page Global Edition of the book delves into the origin story of BMX Freestyle and its original culture. It features the narratives of 130 contributors over a series of 15 chapters focusing on the grassroots era of BMX in the 1970s, the emergence of trick riding, and ultimately, BMX Freestyle, its industry, media, contest scene, and evolution in the 1980s. The book is a deep cultural dive illustrated with over 600 images, many sourced from previously unknown local sources, and of course, I raided the archives of a multitude of legendary BMX photographers, including Bob Osborn, James Cassimus, Dean Bradley, Windy Osborn, Spike Jonze, Steve Giberson, Brad McDonald, and more.

We expect a deep gathering, with Bob Osborn celebrated as the event guest of honor, and a Wizard Publications Staff reunion assembling to celebrate the 70-page Chapter " A Homegrown Revolution" charting the early actions of Bob Osborn and his startup media enterprise, Wizard Publications. In addition, a dedicated chapter titled "Reportage" immerses us in the archives and memory banks of the FREESTYLIN' Magazine crew.

A 90-page chapter titled "A Force of Nature " covers the evolution of British BMX culture in the early 1980s. This chapter is illustrated with hundreds of previously unseen images from the archives of BMX Action Bike and R.A.D. Magazine. The story of this uniquely British culture is recounted through the experiences of notable British riders, including Andy Ruffel, Nick Philip, Jess Dyrenforth, Craig Campbell, James Hudson, and numerous others.